Anthony Bourdain's 'Golden Rules' For Ordering At A Restaurant

“I want to try everything once,” Anthony Bourdain wrote in his 2000 memoir, Kitchen Confidential. "But there are some general principles I adhere to, things I’ve seen over the years that remain in mind and have altered my eating habits.” So, as he traveled through Parts Unknown, he cultivated tips for how to leave every restaurant with a full belly and a happy heart. Fortunately, he shared his sage wisdom with the rest of us. It's easy to see how he became such a legend when you grab a fork and dig into his top 10 rules for eating out.

Skip The Fish

Bourdain was thrust into the public consciousness with a 1999 article for the New Yorker titled, "Don't Eat Before Reading This." In it, he gave some insight about ordering fish: if the restaurant's main focus isn't seafood, the fish has likely been refrigerated poorly, as chefs constantly open and close fridges during the weekend rush.

Chances Are...

According to Chef Bourdain, “Chances are that the Monday-night tuna you want has been kicking around in the kitchen since Friday morning, under God knows what conditions,” he wrote in his New Yorker article.

Don't Kid Yourself About Butter

“In almost every restaurant worth patronizing," Bourdain said, "sauces are enriched with mellowing, emulsifying butter." And in the restaurants "where the chef brags about how he’s ‘getting away from butter and cream?" Well, he's using butter, too. And a lot of it.

At Least One Stick

Any good meal will have a stick of butter in it. "That’s why restaurant food tastes better than home food," he said. "Of course most things have butter because butter makes things taste better... It mellows sauces, it gives it that restaurant sheen and emulsified consistency that we love, and it’s classic."